


First Love: A History

by kitkatpryde



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-22
Updated: 2013-09-22
Packaged: 2017-12-27 09:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/976972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitkatpryde/pseuds/kitkatpryde
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Headmistress Hermione Granger is interviewing Draco Malfoy for a position as the new History of Magic professor at Hogwarts. But there's more history between them than there are pages in Hogwarts: A History, and the interview goes far differently than Hermione had expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Love: A History

**Author's Note:**

  * For [earthlydreams](https://archiveofourown.org/users/earthlydreams/gifts).



The only noises in the Headmistress's office came from the shuffling of feet in the portraits behind her. Dumbledore had been rushing in and out of his frame all day. To where he hadn't said, but Hermione made a mental note to ask him to fill her in over afternoon tea. But for now she was too distracted by the closed door in front of her to think of anything else.

The door that would soon (in three minutes, if he was on time) be opened to reveal a boy, now a man, she hadn't seen since they were school children. Her mind wandered to the moments they'd spent with each other in Hogwarts' darker hallways and the library's abandoned stacks, when he was just a snarky boy with a mop of blond hair and a lopsided smile she couldn't help but return. Now that she'd started it all came back quickly, as if she'd immersed herself in a Pensieve dedicated to him alone: his lips brushing against hers, the taste of licorice and butterbeer on his tongue, the way he'd wrap his arms almost too tightly around her waist, the kisses he'd trail up and down her jaw. Then she was hit with the way it ended: screams and tears and feelings too charged for two people so young, two teenagers who were already soldiers on opposing sides. She no longer held his involvement with Voldemort against him. A few years after the final battle, she realized how young they had been, how she too could have been in his place had she been born a Malfoy instead of a Granger.

She'd felt awful about the way things ended ever since. 

She tried to clear her thoughts, looking back onto the copy of Hogwarts: A History on her desk, marking edits in red loops and lines. The new edition was to be released next year and, as the new editor, her job to update the tome on top of her neverending list of Headmistress duties was almost enough to make her reach for her Time Turner again. As she was scribbling new findings in the margins about the Room of Requirement, she heard a sound at the door. 

"Come in," she yelled, waving her hand to swing the door open on its own. In its frame stood Draco Malfoy: dark business robes, platinum hair slicked back, eyes glistening, and one hand held up as if it were about to knock where the door had just been. 

"Granger," Draco said. "It's nice to see you haven't changed a bit."

Hermione's heart was already fluttering. This was not going as she had planned. This was a job interview, after all, and he was already being far too familiar. "It's Headmistress now, Mr. Malfoy," she answered, straining to keep the nerves out of her voice. "But yes, beyond that, I'd like to think I've stayed very much the same. Please, come in. Sit down." She gestured to a large black chair opposite hers. Draco raised one eyebrow ever so slightly, but closed the door behind him and found his way to the seat. 

"So, um, I like what you've done with the place...no offense, sir," Draco said, nodding his head towards Dumbledore's portrait at the end. Out of the corner of her eye Hermione saw a flash of magenta robes sweep into frame. 

"Oh, none taken, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore replied, heralding a box of Lemon Drop candies. "We all have our own flairs, our own styles, our own tastes. They are part of what makes us who we are. None are better or worse, you see, for they are just us. Headmistress Granger is a much better she than I could ever dream to be." 

"Now he really hasn't changed a bit," Draco said, smiling over her shoulder at the Professor's likeliness. 

Hermione reached behind her and nodded to the crowded frames. "Excuse us, please," she said, pulling the curtain across the paintings. "Confidential interview, you see." A few disgruntled mumbles were drowned out by Dumbledore's offer to share his candies with the rest of the portraits. Hermione turned her attention back to Draco. 

"Sorry about that, " she continued. "So the professorship. History of Magic. You're interested?"

"Oh, yes," Draco said. "I can't believe Professor Binns decided to go on a sabbatical, but I'm quite excited. I grew up with the history of our world ingrained into me. Of course, a lot of that was a one-sided and wrong view of history. Which I've now remedied, you know...I've, uh, studied widely. Even enrolled in a Muggle university for a history degree. Oxford, a few years back. Trying to remedy all those years of pure blood bullshi...excuse me, I mean junk. Trying to remedy all those years of pure blood junk."

"I saw that on your application. That's wonderful, Mr. Malfoy." 

"I'd hope you'd think so. I did that because of you, um...you know. Wanted to ...anyway, History of Magic was always my favorite subject in school. As you may remember, there were only two students in our year who knew Hogwarts: A History cover to cover. And I think I could make things more exciting for the students than the course has been in the past. Make history come alive, you know?" 

Hermione was struggling to keep her composure with him staring at her across her desk like that. She had already decided to give him the job before he walked in, so she decided it was about time to wrap this whole fiasco up before it got out of hand. 

"Well, you're the most qualified person for the position, and your references are excellent. I think we can give this a try. Are you free to start next Monday?" Hermione checked the clock on the wall. A few minutes and this would all be over, and she could return to her editing and allow her heart to slow back to a normal beat. She walked around to the front of the desk in front of Draco's chair, extending her hand to his. 

"I need to do something first, before accepting the offer," Draco replied, his voice dropping to just about a whisper. "If that's alright with you…Ganger." He stood up and took Hermione's hand in his own, but instead of shaking it he used it to pull her flush against him. He leaned into her, leaning her against the desk as he stood between her legs, which Hermione longed to wrap around his waist to pull him closer. She started to lean away from him, knowing how wrong this all was, but Draco just tucked a loose curl behind her ear and whispered. "Please, Granger. Just this once."

Before she could talk herself out of it, Hermione fisted a handful of Draco's hair and pulled his mouth onto hers. Hard and bruising at first, like the stolen moments they'd lived on as teenagers, but then slowly and easily, as if they had all the time in the world. Hermione slipped her hand under Draco's robe, running her fingers over the muscles that had only been hinted at in their youth. His once thin arms were now strong, his shoulders broad and forceful as they moved under her palms. He moaned softly into her mouth, sucking greedily on her bottom lip. 

His moan brought her mind back to the present, and she remembered why this was all wrong, thinking of the gaggle of redhead children she had waiting for her at home. She had made her choice long ago and she couldn't change things with stolen kisses now. She leaned away from him, breaking their kiss. "Draco…," she began.

"I know," he interrupted. He leaned in and placed one more kiss, gentle and loving, on her forehead. He pressed his nose to hers and she took in his glimmering eyes, knowing she'd never see them like this ever again. "I couldn't live wondering though, Granger. Without knowing one more time. But I promise, I'm all professional now." He stepped a few feet back from her and took her hand in his, giving it a firm business-like shake. "See you on Monday, Headmistress. I'll send you my lesson plans by owl over the weekend." And with one final turn on his heel, he was out the door and down the winding stairwell without another backward glance.

Hermione slowly stood up from her desk, setting back into her chair. She heard a light cough behind her and reached back to open the curtain one more. Only Dumbledore was waiting for her in his frame. 

"Oh no, you look a little glum, sweet Headmistress. Perhaps you should try a Lemon Drop?" Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling behind his glasses. "A little bit sour, but mostly sweet. I try to focus on the sweet, myself. I think it's the better way to live, and certainly the better way to enjoy Lemon Drops."

Hermione smiled and shook her head, settling back into her edits with her red pen. The history of Hogwarts was vast, but at this moment it seemed less complicated and heartbreaking than her own past. So, with the taste of licorice and Butterbeer still lingering on her lips, Hermione went back to writing about the school she had so long called home, trying desperately to forget the boy who had first make it feel like one.


End file.
